Introduction

While face fit testing is a quick and straightforward process, it is governed by strict regulations and legislation. They and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advise face fit testing to keep employers compliant and suitably protected against insurance claims and prosecution should any be brought against them. Crucially, however, regulations and procedures ensure employees' safety and comfort working in usually uncomfortable and high-risk areas where masks are necessary - resulting in a more productive and healthy workforce. 

This Citrus certification ensures delegates are competent to carry out face fit testing of their employees, understand the legislative and procedural requirements in testing, record results and know when not to test an employee.

Train the Tester provides more efficiency and cost-effectiveness to large companies that may have high staff volumes that require face fit testing to work in their role safely. 

Course Outline

This course will instruct the candidates on the legislative and practical requirements to allow them to face fit test their colleagues and employees. 

As part of the course, all candidates will undertake a face fit test procedure on each other to demonstrate understanding of the correct process, as highlighted in INDG 479. This process consists of a simple pass or fail test based on the wearer’s assessment of face seal leakage, using their sense of taste of a test agent (bitter or sweet). In addition, they’ll participate in mask selection, inspection, correct fitting and care and maintenance activities and advice during the session. Finally, they will examine the importance and implications of proper reporting and retesting requirements.

The course reflects national standards and industry best practices and is fully accredited in line with regulations. In addition, choose to learn with Citrus, and delegates will benefit from our custom-built training facilities and customer-first approach.

Our occupationally and technically experienced trainers take delegates through the test completing the session with a pass-or-fail assessment. They must pass the test to qualify for the Citrus Face Fit Tester Certificate.

Course Programme

This training is essential for anyone needing to carry out face fit testing in their line of work.

The course content includes:

• Legislative requirements relating to face fit testing
• Pre-test wearer requirements
• Options for wearers with acceptable beards (Religion etc.)
• Types of masks, including user checks
• Face fit testing equipment, including pre-use checks
• Face fit test procedure
• Recording of information and reports
• Retest requirements
• Practical exercise of face fit test

On Completion

On successful completion of the test, the trainer will return all paperwork to Citrus Head Office, and a Face Fit Tester Certificate will be issued. The certificate shows that the delegate has successfully passed a formal face fit tester to the standard identified in INDG 479.

Who Should Attend?

The Qualitative Face Fit Train the Tester is suitable for anyone who needs to test mask wearers in their line of work, no matter their role or industry sector.

Course Duration

The training is a half-day session assessed with a short question paper and practical face fit exercise.

Why Citrus?

We dedicate our efforts to unrivalled quality and the customer experience at Citrus Training. As a result, we are the leading UK-based provider of health, safety and technical training and assessment services to the Built Environment and Utility sectors. 

Citrus Training serves 85 of the top 100 building services companies in the market. With nearly 20-years of sector-specific experience, we’ve gained invaluable training experiences and knowledge to pass on to our delegates.

Our Health and Safety At Work training is accredited, regulated, and has exceptionally high standards. Assessing short and long-term workplace risks,  we teach and promote current industry and legislative requirements to ensure delegates take them forward into their daily working lives.

Our occupationally experienced Health and Safety educators have successfully trained over 60,000 delegates across the Health and Safety At Work training category. Delivering courses at our nationwide, industry-leading and accredited training centres and offering the very best of training standards and quality assurance. We only use trained and competent face fit testers who work following the latest legislation and regulations. 

Things You Need to Know

Face fit testing is for any worker who wears a tight-fitting mask to prevent illness as part of their role.

Delegates must be cleanly shaven. Anyone that is not shaved to the skin will not be tested – There are no exceptions to this rule.

Delegates must not eat, smoke, or drink anything other than still unflavoured water for a minimum of 30 minutes before their test. Doing so can inhibit their detection of the test substance. 

All delegates on the Train the Tester course undergo a face fit test as part of their training, hence the need to comply with the criteria above. 

For training held at your location, please ensure that the classroom you make available has a 240v power supply and is a suitable size for the number of delegates attending. In addition, please ensure that the practical area has been risk-assessed, is free from harm, and is ideal for training.